


Brutal outcomes

by Drafter



Series: HxH Whump Stories [5]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Death, Gen, Gun Violence, Meteor City | Ryuuseigai (Hunter X Hunter), Origin Story, Pre-Canon, Shoot the Hostage, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27058513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drafter/pseuds/Drafter
Summary: Back in his early days in Meteor City, Chrollo has to face the harsh reality of life — as ordinary and fascinating as it could be.
Series: HxH Whump Stories [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966612
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Brutal outcomes

**Author's Note:**

> Whumptober prompt #16: Shoot the hostage
> 
> My take on a background story for Chrollo on Meteor City.

The girl at his feet was small, tiny even. Her legs and arms so thin Chrollo felt he could snap them like a twig. Her eyes, however, were nothing but fearless. She could defy the whole town just with the look in those eyes.

“Who is she?” Chrollo asked.

“We caught this bitch stealing.”

The two young men beside him laughed, but Chrollo remained the same, his own eyes locked on the stranger on the ground. The girl didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to; the resolve in her face spoke volumes.

He knew no one would come for the girl. Meteor City had a ‘kill or be killed’ implicit policy that meant people were on their own to fend for themselves. Sure, the place was filled with gangs, clubs and factions, but at the end of the day, everybody was alone. In a place so invisible to society, loneliness could be a blessing or a curse.

The only time the city would come together was to tackle external menaces. Whenever a foreign power threatened any of its inhabitants, dared to lay a finger on even a single person, then the invisible bond forged between Meteor City’s own outcasts would shine as ever before and become as strong as iron. The city’s weakness was also its strength after all, a crowd of nobodies that had nothing to lose — but filled with anger. It was a strange and hellish place children were taught to love in the most unhealthy way.

Among themselves, however, it was survival of the fittest, something you learn from day 1. Death was just part of the landscape, and blood was no different from the rust that corroded the endless junk that accumulated in Meteor City.

Murder, rape, joy, laughter — they all walked hand in hand. And Chrollo was part of that as much as the next person.

Just like he was part of the situation in hand.

And now, by his side, he heard the cocking of a gun. Chuckles. The rustle of someone’s pants.

The girl glanced at the other guys, for the first time averting her gaze from Chrollo. She was uneasy now, a dash of discomfort touching her face. But she was not afraid. Resolute, maybe, like she was accepting her own fate. 

There was something in her demeanour that made him want to watch. A coldbloodedness that he found compelling and intriguing. Chrollo had seen many things during his life in Meteor City, but he had never seen someone face tragic destiny with such ruthless acceptance. At the same time, it wasn’t as if she had given up. No, there was no sign of defeat on that look. If presented with a chance, that tiny little girl would take matters into her own hands and — he bet — would be capable of even more brutal outcomes.

Humans were, in fact, quite inspiring.

“Give me the gun,” Chrollo suddenly asked. 

The two young men looked at each other first, to Chrollo next. The girl was also staring at him again, bold as ever, her pupils so deep Chrollo could drown in them. How much sharper could they be if pushed to the limit?

“Give me the gun,” he repeated.

The boys hesitated, but soon enough Chrollo felt the cold pistol in his hand. He aimed at the girl. She jolted. He was looking for fear, he found none.

So Chrollo smiled, pleased. Turned the handgun to the young men at his side. Shock ran through all four of them.

“What the-”

Chrollo shot two times, hitting the two heads point-blank. In that junkyard city, nobody seemed to have listened. Or cared. The gunpowder odour blended with the other fumes, became one with the polluted air.

Business as usual.

He went back to the girl. Held his hand so she could get up. She still couldn’t mask the surprise on her gaze, but the handgun was now on the ground, tossed aside like a piece of garbage that was no longer needed.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She got up, promptly ignoring the dead bodies that were now part of the scene. Her physique looked even more fragile now, the short body hidden under slightly larger clothing.

The girl looked at him, the same sharp, deep pupils as before.

“I’m Machi,” she answered.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't know if that made sense, or if it was OOC, as we don't know much about pre-canon Chrollo >.<
> 
> And I didn't want to add Machi as a character to not spoil the fun =p Although one could guess she was the girl in the story from the start.


End file.
